


best laid intentions, The

by fireflysglow_archivist



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-12-21
Updated: 2002-12-21
Packaged: 2019-04-29 06:41:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14467149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflysglow_archivist/pseuds/fireflysglow_archivist
Summary: Inara has a secret that may endanger her stay on Serenity, Jayne can help, but at what price?





	best laid intentions, The

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Firefly’s Glow](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Firefly%27s_Glow), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Firefly's Glow collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fireflysglow/profile).

 

best laid intentions, The

## best laid intentions, The

### by deementedb

Summary: This is my first fan-fic and first try at anything resembling smutty- I have no beta and well I apologize in advance for punctuation and spelling- never seen these two paired, so I thought id give it a try- it may possibly be too long too but... The best laid intentions 

The waves had started ten days after she had escorted a wounded Mal back from the duel on Persephone. 

They had shared closeness unprecedented so far in their cat and mouse game with mutual attraction. Mal had foolishly defended her honor; she had given him an out by bribing the doorman at the hotel the night before the duel. He had beseeched her with those eyes, those eyes that betrayed his heart. He would not, could not run away from this almost certain death. He had asked her while she gave him a rushed lesson in fencing not to accept Atherton Wings offer to be his personal companion. He could not even look at her as he nearly whispered the request. He would not back out of this fight, though he must have known the odds were against him. He had made his stand, for her. Even in the face of his huge disadvantage to him she was worth it. 

She shook herself out of her reverie, turning her attention back to the flashing wave. Atherton had sent dozens, increasing in venom and rage. She had made good on the threat to put a black mark on his profile, no other certified companion would ever accept his proposals again. She had deleted many in the beginning, believing he would tire of the juvenile harassment. The next one she had read sent a shiver down her spine, he was threatening her- not physically, but he alluded to knowing something about her, something that would ruin her surely as she had ruined him. No details were given, just the promise that the fine points would be forthcoming. She had diligently read all the subsequent waves. Here was the next one, she opened the wave flashing urgent on the screen of her cortex and read it. She was shaking by the time she finished. * How could he know? Did he know? * The anger and fear grew in her; she knew it was not a matter that would get her in trouble anywhere else but on Serenity. Atherton was smart, Atherton was cruel. He had picked up on the chemistry between her and Mal at the Ball, his jealousy barely suppressed. His ego and Mal's mocking insinuations causing each man to escalate their non-existent claim on her, which resulted in the duel. She deleted the offending wave. She sat staring at the empty screen, her mind wanting to shut down and not think of what this last wave could possibly mean. She tried to shake it off, realizing how it had affected her, she felt all jittery and weak. She took deep breaths, trying to regain her composure. She had to be smart, she had to be realistic, and she busied herself with making a soothing cup of tea to occupy her mind. She called on her training as a companion to dampen down her frantic emotions, pushing them down to a controllable level. She had to look candidly at the situation, what could Atherton really do to her, or Mal. She went through several scenarios in her mind, He could try to set her up with a violent client, someone hired to hurt her, though she knew he would prefer to do it himself. She made mental notes to look for ties to Atherton in any new clients, also to watch herself when walking planetside. Atherton was a powerful man with many connections in the larger planets surrounding Persephone. 

A twinge in her stomach made her glance at the time, meal time, She sighed and rose to prepare herself to go to the mess. She could not let the others know what was happening, that there was anything bothering her, that there was any threat to her. She had caused enough problems with her association to Atherton Wing and did not want to escalate the situation any more than it already was. She felt calmer and more in control having taken a more insightful look at the position Atherton was putting her in. She knew then that she hadn't been successful in the past weeks at hiding her stress and wondered what the other crewmembers were thinking about her mood swings. She recalled how she had received inquiries from Kaylee about her health, suggesting a check up with Simon. Shepard had also discreetly offered his ear if there was something she needed to talk about, even Mal had asked more than once if everything was alright. Obviously the crew knew something was upsetting her and was letting her take her own time in disclosing it. 

She slipped in mostly unnoticed at the table, everyone but Wash was there and distracted by Simon trying to calm down a distraught River, only Jayne threw a glance her way before digging into his meal again. She watched feeling strangely disconnected, Shepard, Kaylee and Simon soothed a now whimpering River, Zoe and Mal kept a close eye on the group seemingly having a complete conversation between themselves with only glances. Simon finally apologized to the group for upsetting dinner and excused himself and River, guiding her back to their quarters. Everyone quickly went back to his or her meal, dismissing the interruption as normal. The atmosphere was jovial and light in an instant, Wash ambling in to join them. Friendly chatter, clinking of dishes as they were passed around the table in the familiar nightly ritual soon seemed sinister to Inara. She wore a serene smile on her face masking her true mood, though dread was in her heart. She looked around the table, feeling the bond of family. This was her family, her home, her life and she felt a real threat to what she had here. 

Later that night the ship was quiet. She had to get out of her shuttle, her thoughts crowding her. She wandered the area above the cargo hold, seeing Jayne below cleaning his favorite gun Vera atop a crate. She stepped back into the shadows when he suddenly shifted his focus and looked around as if he had heard something though she knew she had not made a sound. Seeing and hearing nothing more he shrugged and went back to his task as she slipped silently. She peeked down the corridor that ended in the bridge, seeing Wash in his pilots seat, probably setting the night's course before leaving to join his wife in bed. No one else was about as she passed all the rooms before turning to return to her shuttle. It was strange to see the Medlab so dark; she usually didn't walk around this late at night and had never passed it while the lights were off. She stopped to peer in the window for a moment if just to assure herself that things were alright in there, as she turned around she let out a surprised yelp- standing there watching her was River, standing soundlessly in her borrowed nightgown. 

"River, dear what are you doing? Lets get you back to your room before Simon worries." 

She put her arm around the young woman, turning her to guide her back to her bed. Rivers bowed head turned up to her, she clutched at Inara's arm. 

"Don't let him! 

Inara pushed the hair from the teenagers face, brushing her palm against her cheek to calm her. 

"What's that."? 

Before she could complete her sentence River clutched her with both hands. 

"Don't let him take you from us! From Him. Clip his wings, swooping bird with angry talons" 

Inara felt a shiver run through her as she tried again to calm River. River would not be comforted. 

"He knows," she whispered harshly.  
"He'll tell," she threatened.  
" Get the hunter to tear him from the sky before we all fall" 

Inara pulled Rivers hands from their painful grasp on her arms. 

"What do you mean, River? Who knows what? 

Before River could answer her a disheveled Simon rounded the corner, stopping and sighing as he ran a hand through he sleep messed hair. 

"River, there you are, Thank Goodness, you have got to stop wandering off this late, you should be in bed. Inara, I am so sorry, did she wake you?" 

Inara knew she would never get an answer from River now, not that any answer she would have gotten would have made any sense. 

"No, no Simon I was just restless, walking around, she was no problem" 

Simon seemed relieved, putting an arm around Rivers shoulders and near pushing her towards her room. River's eye never left Inara's; they seemed to bore into them, desperate to relay something vital to her. Inara watched till they were out of sight, she headed back toward her shuttle. 

An hour later she was still awake, River's rantings had bothered her. Usually whenever River started spouting her gibberish, nothing made sense. This time it had struck a nerve. She couldn't know, could she? River often spent time in her shuttle; both she and Kaylee would watch River from time to time, giving Simon a much needed break from his constant vigilance of his sister. Inara couldn't recall ever seeing River near her Cortex, could she have possibly seen the waves Atherton sent somewhere else on the ship? She quickly went to her screen, tapping into the log to check shipwide waves. She sighed in relief when she saw none of the waves she received had gone to anyone else on the ship. While still staring at the screen her nightmare became reality, a shipwide urgent wave from Atherton popped up on the screen. She felt the blood drain from her face and her heart start thumping wildly, she opened it and read 'Do you really know your crew? A true patriot is among you, part of an elite group pivotal in securing victory for the Alliance in one of the greatest battles in recent history. Ask about Carlian's' Panic and her gorge rose quickly, she could not delete a shipwide wave from her shuttle, which could only be done from the bridge. "Oh my god, Wash!" Inara jumped up and bolted for her door, catching herself against the wall as hysteria threatened to stop her in her tracks. She breathed deeply trying to gain some control over the dizzying frenzy her mind was spinning. She had to get to the bridge; She had to delete that damned wave before anyone could see it. Atherton had no credibility, still, too many questions could arise, if anyone found out what that wave meant it would be the end of her stay on Serenity. She braced herself and ran quickly to the bridge, praying with each slap of cold metal against her bare feet that Wash had already left for the night, with no one there she could delete and purge the wave from the screen and log. She shivered as she came closer, realizing she hadn't put her robe on over her sheer nightgown. Mal would never forgive her; tears blurred her vision as she thought of the look in his eyes if he ever found out. She rounded the corner, so close, so close and stopped dead in her tracks just inside the bridge. Her chest was heaving wildly, her panting heavy as she tried to catch her breath. The pilot's chair swiveled, revealing a stunned Jayne. He jumped to his feet at seeing the state she was in "What the hell is goin on? Is there trouble?" He looked behind her half expecting someone to be chasing her the way she came barreling in. He took in her near nude form, staring at her breasts, nipples hard from the cold of the ship. She glanced at the monitor, seeing the urgent wave still blinking on the screen- unread. "Yes! Trouble!" she stammered, scrambling for some possible reason to send Jayne running from the cockpit. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind, trying to drag her eyes from the blinking screen back to Jayne, "River!" She near shouted, eyes still being drawn to the monitor seemingly against her will. Jayne tore his eyes from her body, "What?" She looked back desperately at Jayne. "Some type of seizure, Simon needs help, he cant hold her down, he needs. ...Help" His eyes only showed confusion. "Help him Jayne, Now!" She knew the way he kept staring at her that he didn't believe her. "None of my concern, the freak. You come runnin all the way over here, past everyone's door, looking for help from me?" "No, no I thought... just go help him" She pleaded, her eyes again drawn to the offending screen. He noticed where she was looking at, "I don't think so". He smirked and sat down in the pilot's chair again, swiveling it to face the monitor. His fingers started tapping out commands and instantly a copy printed out. "Jayne, Don't do that!" she said as she came around the chair trying to grab the copy before he could read it. He held her off with his longer reach as he read the wave in his hand. "Carlians?" He looked at her suspiciously," I know that place, Brothel, right? Hmmm, Alliance patriot" Inara's panic reached a new high as she held her breathe as Jayne's eyes bored into hers, she saw them change from amused to merciless, dangerous in seconds. He turned the page toward her, shaking it near in her face. " You, You an Alliance spy, Whore?" She took a small step back at the malice in his voice. "No, No it's not that..." She tried again to snatch the page he shook at her from his grasp; he pulled it out of her reach as she rushed the monitor. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his lap, easily holding her to him with one arm. "Jayne, Jayne please, please I need that" she reached for the page again, struggling, squirming in his lap in an effort to reach it. Her voice broke into sobs as she begged him. "Now, Girl you best cut the bawlin and start explaining yourself, Spill. Now. Or should I get Mal down here to straighten this out?" She cried harder at the mention of his name, "No! no, please you cant, he cant, he cant know about this Jayne." She half turned in his lap, tears falling freely down her face, she searched his eyes "Jayne, that was from Atherton Wing, you know what he did. He wants to hurt me, hurt Mal, don't let him". Jayne checked the origin of the wave, scrutinizing her eyes for the truth. He took in her attire again from her perch on his lap, her cleavage near bare under her gossamer sheath, his advantage suddenly dawning on him. "Lies, you say? All this hubbub over lies? You think Mal would fall for that? Believe him over one of his own?" Inara felt trapped, Jayne knew too much and she couldn't seem to placate him with the admittedly lame story she had told him. She had to get him to believe her, to help her. He continued. "You tell me that crap story about River need'n me, you come tearin in here like a bat outta hell dressed like THAT over some mud slingin from a disgruntled client? I don't think so, somethin a whole lotta big is goin on here. You best start yapping, don't be givin me no line neither. I wont cross Mal- won't be letting the likes of you cross him neither, ifn I can help it." 

Inara felt caught, trapped. The only long shot she had was to enlist Jayne to help her, bring him into her confidence. Jayne wasn't trustworthy in her opinion, yet he might be the only crew member she could truly turn to at this point. She had no other options with what he knew. Jayne wasn't political; Jayne by all definitions was a mercenary- out for himself. She pushed herself against him holding on tight, for the first time she realized just how physically close she was to him, she pressed herself firmly against his large chest, looking into his eyes pleadingly, stroking his stubbled face. "Jayne, help me please. You're the only one here who can. I'll tell you everything, please, please don't let Atherton win" Jayne whistled low as he ran his hands up her side to her shoulders; he pushed her from him as he smirked at her. " You must be in deep to be tryin this on me, not that I don't precciate it". He stood quickly, dropping her from his lap like she was nothing; she barely had the chance to land on her feet. They both stood sussing each other up "your move girl" Jayne growled. "I'll.. I'll give you money Jayne, or whatever you want to let me delete that wave and never, ever mention it- to me or anyone else" Jayne chuckled at her desperation " I think we should negotiate, How important is this?" Inara glanced at the entrance; " Jayne, please, Wash could come back in here at any moment to check on things" Jayne turned around, printed another copy of the wave, and then deleted it. " The log too" Inara said, relief now evident in her voice. Jayne deleted the log, took the two copies of the wave and folded them, stuffing them in his pants. "Insurance" he brushed past her "Cmon then". She hurried to keep up with him. "Where are you going? Jayne turned and smiled at her "you're shuttle, you got something for me right? And I don't think you should be paradin around in that getup- think it's kinda suspicious" 

Inara led Jayne through the entrance immediately going for her robe, "nuh uh, leave it off and start talking". Inara laid out what had been happening to her, the waves she had been receiving for weeks, he already knew all about the history of Atherton's fury. Jayne interrupted her "What's he got on you? He wont stop, prides been wounded. You get rid of one copy, what about the next? And the next? How you think you can stop him? Powerful man I'd wager or at least rich" Inara felt the tears threatening again "you're right, how can I stop him" It was more a statement than a question, though her brain was turning everything over and over, no solution was presenting itself. Jayne growled, he didn't want to feel for her but recent events made him more tolerant, if he deserved another chance, didn't she? He tried to offer some hope. "Maybe yur makin too much of what he has to say. Maybe best to tell Mal yourself, first strike ya know? Take the power from him, Mal's a fairly forgivin man. Way I see it he wouldn't let that Wing guy win no way, wasn't that what this whole thing was bout in the first place?" Inara hung her head, "I don't think Mal would forgive me, don't think anyone else would let him. He'd take it very personally, It's so much a part of him, I don't think he'd ever want to hurt me but I wouldn't be welcome here anymore. It's not like it would be only his choice, Zoe would never let it go, Kaylee would feel I betrayed his trust, and Wash, well he would certainly side with them. Rightfully so" Her voice began to hitch as she thought of what was most certainly coming. "Maybe the only right thing to do is leave on my own" She sat down and covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking with her grief. Jayne fought his urge to want to help her, all he could think of was how Mal had given him a second chance when he had 'betrayed' him. He was still feeling the very real sting of guilt and the near loss of his place on the ship. Mal still was slightly distant, more aloof than usual towards him, but he expected worse. He felt a strangely renewed faith in the man Mal was; he knew that Mal hadn't told anyone else about his attempt to turn in the Tam's to the Alliance. Not even Mal's confidant Zoe knew, he was sure of it, If Zoe had known she never would have let Mal keep him on the ship, she would have brought everything out in the open, never letting Jayne stay the 'hero' Simon thought he was. He looked again at Inara in her misery and gently asked, "What'd you do? If'n I can help or think of something...." Inara wiped at her face, she saw something in Jayne's expression that made her want to tell him, if anyone on board would understand it would most likely be Jayne. She started softly "It was before.." They looked into each other's eyes; she knew she had his full attention. 

"Right before my certification as a Companion, before I ever met Mal. I was younger, nave in the shades of gray working in the verse. A patriot you could say, I believed in the propaganda the Alliance was spreading. The war had been going on for years, yet it never touched me much. I believed fully in the order and equality the Alliance promised when it finally stopped the Independants. I had never known anything harsh, never wanted for anything. I lived a sheltered life in much the same way I imagine Simon and River lived, I guess we all found out different later but.... I believed the Independants were uninformed as to the true benefits of Unification, that their cause was a prelude to chaos. I didn't know any better; I would probably still believe I had done the right thing if I had never met Mal. I never told anyone, not my friends or family- the only one's who knew were the top council at the Academy and the men and women who also took the assignment." Inara rose and went to a drawer hidden behind some silk hanging from the wall where she removed a small gilded box; she opened it and stared at the contents. She brought the box over to Jayne, Jayne saw what it was and swore in Chinese under his breath. He picked up the solid gold ornate medallion. "Is that a... Is that real?" Returning to her seat Inara answered him "Yes, it's a Unity Orb" His eyes hardened and bore into her's, disbelief played across his face "You! You served in the war?" She answered, "Unofficially, I was among the senior students in the companion academy recruited, before final certification we were to put into practice all that we had learned, we had to accumulate so many intern hours. The Alliance asked the Academy to supply students; we could not be identified as licensed companions since we had not graduated yet and the Alliance liked that since everyone knew who the Academy backed in the war. This was to be a six week long assignment, mission of sorts, and it would count as all of our intern hours, would bring more than good standing in the Academy, it would bring us that much closer to the elite group in the Academy, something that could take years if ever to achieve" Jayne had let her talk hoping to hear the source of the problem, he wondered if she was even getting close to the point. He interrupted her " Not looking for yer gorram life story here, what's the punch line?" She shot him an irritated look. " The point is I was picked to participate in the Alliance operation. We were to set up as workers in Carlian's; Independence soldiers, even officers, often patronized it. It was considered dangerous duty; the men were often rough from nature or the war. We were issued small hand held scanners and a supply of strong fast working sedatives that went through the blood quickly, it didn't last long but insured that we wouldn't get caught while rifling through their belongings for information. Any intelligence we found was copied and handed over to the Alliance. No one ever got caught. About a month in I hit the jackpot, a supply officer with transcripts of all ammunition and provision deliveries, routes and dates, all supplies headed to the battle at Serenity Valley. It was very important to the Alliance, the Independants had gained a stronghold, and it meant a possible turning point in the war, if more people thought there was a chance for the resistance.... More troops, more planets that were neutral could possibly align with what was previously thought of as a losing battle. The Alliance couldn't let that happen. The first interception of supplies was thought a stroke of luck for the Alliance, the second saw the officer held and tried for treason. It was all it took; it was just too late for the troops at Serenity Valley. They had no food, supplies or ammunition to maintain their hold; it was a near complete massacre, as you know. Our operation was complete and we were removed. The Alliance won that battle and as everyone knows that was the beginning of the end of the war, of the Independants." She stole a peek at Jayne to see how he had received her story. He had been listening carefully. "How'd ...."He gestured with his hand. " Atherton must have connections either to the Academy or someone close to the operation. It was a clandestine operation; we were not issued the accommodations publicly, there were no ceremonies, we couldn't be traced to the academy since we had yet to be certified. I never mentioned it to anyone, ever. I don't know why- on some level I knew I had been a part of the death of hundreds if not thousands of young soldiers. I don't know if mine was the only information used in this operation, I can't honestly believe that. I know I have never used a weapon on another human being, I know it was war-time; still it was something that felt dirty. As I said, I was a patriot, I believed I was on the right side, I put it in the past until I started living here, listening to Mal and Zoe's war stories, the name of the ship didn't even spark that memory until then." She stopped talking and looked at Jayne, she couldn't read his expression. Minutes seemed to go by, she couldn't take it anymore "JAYNE!" She lifted her eyebrows at him trying to elicit some reaction. Jayne shook his head slowly "My advice? Start packin . You'd have to shut this man down completely. Damn Mal shoulda finished him off all legal like when he had the chance" Inara couldn't believe that was all he had to offer. "How could I... I mean isn't there anything you could think of that might make him back down?" Jayne stood and stretched "Only thing I could think of is if he come down with a permanent case of dead" By this time it was already morning, breakfast was less than an hour away. Jayne went for the door; he turned around before opening it. " Look, don't know if this can be fixed. What bout that Sir Warrick guy, from what I heard he wasn't too fond of that Atherton, maybe he knows something big enough to stop him, I mean if you think he'd share that with ya, oh and not mention it to Mal. I got something in mind, but it's extreme, don't know if ya wanna go there. I wouldn't repeat this story on this ship ever again, the walls have ears sometimes, and sorry but I think you might be right about Mal not forgivin this, you can't trust anyone on this ship with this, most common link tween us all is loyalty to Mal. I just learned that recently. 

Everything should appear normal-stop mopping around- yeah I noticed, sure i'm not the only one neither. 'normal' would be showin up for breakfast in a bit, keep an eye on the wave's. I'll figure some way to get Wash outta the cockpit tonight, I'll watch for em tonight, but it's the last night. Somethin gets decided by morning either way, you either find a way, I'll find a way or you start packing. There's no way we could keep control over the shipwide waves for very long. Just not possible" Jayne tossed the box with the medal in back to her. "Get rid of this, too many snoopy people with no respect for privacy round here" Inara barely caught the box "What! No one goes through my things, this isn't a common area Jayne." Jayne shamelessly looked her over head to toe. "Now, now don't get your.... Huh guess you got nothing on to get in a twist now do ya? I know you let that nutcase in here from time to time, she got no boundaries, she'd just think it some shiny bauble to play with, maybe you'd best give it to me, I keep my bunk locked. It's authentic, know some folks pay a good price fer it, else pitch it to the black. Twenty minutes till we'll be missed at breakfast, find me quiet like if you need me before tonight" Inara nodded and tossed the box back to him, he headed on out to stash it in his room. 

By early evening Inara had talked to Sir Warrick, though sympathetic to her plight, he knew of nothing that might stop Atherton's harassment of her. He was also understanding about not being told what Atherton had on her. 'We all have our secrets dear' were his exact words. He assured her that he would not alert Captain Reynolds of their talk and also offered up some information, Atherton may be attending a very elite retreat thrown by a very rich, influential man on Persephone, the man was an avid fan of survivalist vacations. It was considered very prestigious, a personal coup to be invited. Sir Warrick had been invited but declined explaining it was a young man's folly. If Atherton attended which Sir Warrick was almost certain he would, he would have no way of sending any waves for a full five days. There was a two day pre-camping party at the man's estate complete with feasts, plenty of champagne, not to mention the dozen or so companions the man had hired for his guests. Inara had thanked him for the information; this would at least give her a small reprieve in Atherton's harassment of her. 

At dinner Inara tried to discreetly signal Jayne to meet with her, no new waves had arrived and she wanted to let him know about Atherton's possible attendance to the survivalist's party. She was feeling exhausted, the nervous energy and lack of sleep wearing on the cool demeanor she had tried to affect all day. After dinner Kaylee had suggested a game of charades in the cargohold, it was something they often did to pass time before turning in for the night. Jayne declined as usual, leaving the mess as soon as he had cleaned his bowl and utensils. Inara begged off playing, opting to watch with River as the rest of the crew picked teams and set up a competition between them. When the game had fully held all the players attention she tried to unnoticeably sneak off to find Jayne. A slight hand encircled her wrist, as River looked urgently into her startled eyes. "Tainted berries make the village sick, best to burn the bush," she whispered frantically, nodding earnestly as if she were departing asked for advice. She patted Inara's hand as she released it, smiling sweetly. Inara smiled back as she left, her nerves jangled anew, River's ramblings often seemed metaphoric and she wondered not for the first time just how much insight the girl really had of her surroundings. 

Jayne was sitting in her shuttle fingering a silk throw; her disapproving look didn't faze him. She let it go and relayed the news about Atherton's probable plans. "When's all this going down?" Jayne asked while running the silky fabric over his cheek. Inara answered" There is a two day affair beforehand that starts tomorrow, feast's, alcohol, music, many companions are engaged for the whole two days. I agree with Sir Warrick that Atherton wouldn't miss this gathering, especially since he can no longer engage a companion on his own" Jayne discarded the silk in his hand, standing as she sat down. He paced the small area a few times quickly, glancing at her as she saw him trying to make up his mind about something. He stroked his goatee saying, "This is perfect, just perfect. It's up to you though, if you're not leaving you know what has to be done. I'd take care of it for you... for a price of coarse. I had a plan going but couldn't figure out how to get him alone. It could all be over before the week is out." Inara's cheeks flushed as the implication of what he said sank in. " I.I can't ask you to do that, I cant do that" Jayne looked at her, steel and impatience in his eyes. " We both done it before, there's no way to deny that. From what you and Mal say this guy aint no saint, you think you're the first he's tried to bring down? You think what he's doing to you is anything but the beginning of what he's got planned? We could be doing a public service, not that we could ever take credit. Sleep on it. We have to work fast, agree on terms." He stepped closer, picking up the discarded silk and gently brushing it against her cheek before dropping and leaving her room. 

Jayne was jolted from his slumber by the banging on his door; he hurriedly unlocked and opened it. Inara gracefully and quickly climbed down. She swept the bunk with her eyes, noticing the abundance of weapons and lack of much else. Jayne stood there in his boxers, roughly rubbing the sleep from his eyes. " All that banging supposed to be discreet?" Inara shot back" I tried tapping lightly but ...." He cut her off. "Something happen?" Inara didn't answer right away; Jayne looked towards her and noted the steely determination in her eyes. "Okay, I think I want to accept your help- but first tell me why? Why are you willing to help me? What do you expect to gain from this? I want to trust you Jayne, tell me I'm not trading one blackmailer for another. I'm sorry, I know you're the only one I could have turned to on Serenity, it's just you have to admit..." Jayne cut her off, a slight angry edge in his voice. "Yeah, yeah I'm not to be trusted. You think I don't know what y'all think of me? I know. I know I most likely deserve it. You can't 'think' you want my help you either do or don't, there's no maybe's about this. We gotta be straight with each other, this is only between us. This could go bad on me too ya know." Inara's nerves and lack of sleep made her lose her temper. "I KNOW, that's why i'm asking? Tell Me!" Jayne fought his own rising irritation; he grabbed her by the arms and pushed her into a seat. "Look, I got my reasons, got nothing to do with you. This is what I had planned, see we haven't paid Badger his share of the cattle job yet, took 3 weeks up and 3 weeks back, haven't gone down to Persephone since you ain't the only one worried about Atherton Wing. Mal's already got the idea the man might be looking for some payback, You, Mal and the ship probably would find trouble if you go back too soon. Kinda surprised Mal ain't asked you if you heard from him" Inara shrugged "He did, I lied." Jayne went on." Yeah, well I could offer to take the other shuttle over planetside to pay Badger, Mal would probably go for it, It's gotta be done fore we can leave this quadrant. I'll pay off Badger, stall coming back. Shuttle problems, buying supplies, whatnot, what can he do if'n I take a coupla more day's? Can't go nowhere till I git back. I'll find Atherton, he'll have a huntin accident, I come back, everything's shiny. Now let's talk about my compensation. I'll need at least 5000 credits an that's a bargain, and... five fully paid appointments with a companion, at least two from you personally" Inara's mouth moved but nothing came out, She never thought he would ask for that. If she didn't agree she would certainly have to leave Serenity and that wasn't even the worst of it. Now there was no possible way to hide the reason for her leaving. Mal would know, Jayne knew the whole story; he had her medal as proof, along with Atherton's cryptic waves. If she left she knew Jayne was right about Atherton's harassment not stopping, Atherton's plan to expose her to Mal was equally about hurting both of them. If she foiled his plan he would make a new one, two new ones and she would not have spared Mal a thing, she could actually see how it could spur Atherton on to do worse, to do exactly what she and Jayne plotted to do to him. Her long silence made Jayne start to pace. "Inara don't go all shy on me now, I have my job, you have yours- we're both good at what we do- What's the problem? You had no problem rubbing all over me the other night when you were trying to get that wave, now ya goin to make like bein with me is worse than what that guy has planned for ya?" She heard worry, anger and a little hurt in his voice. "No" she sighed, "that's not it, I agree to your price. I just can't believe how fast one's life can change" Jayne relaxed a bit" Don't go overthinkin this, I aint. Life ain't changing; this is exactly what we do on this ship. Nara we all win this way, you, you get to keep your secret and stay on Serenity, Me, I get, well money, sex and the chance to do Mal a good- I owe him even if'n he can't know about it. And Mal, well Mal gets to not get hurt, by you or Atherton- he's been hurt and betrayed nuff lately, only so much a man can take. I'll set things up with Mal tomorrow " Inara nodded went back to where she had brought the medal out from and retrieved a metal box, she pulled out a handful of money, separating the large bills from the smaller, she counted out Jayne's price and handed it over to him leaving only a small amount left in the box. Jayne looked at the money, smirking, he folded it and placed it in his pocket. "Inara, this is great but before I go over to Persephone, I'm gonna need more incentive" Eyes closing Inara sighed loudly; he was going to extort her after all. "Jayne- that's exactly what you asked for, you could see I don't have much left onboard, but if you want to take the rest... I do still have to pay rent on this shuttle and you made a killing I heard on that hospital job, why are you being so greedy!" Jayne's smirk left his face, he looked seriously at her, tracing a rough calloused finger along her smooth jaw line. In a husky voice he said "not talking bout the credits, we're square on that" his finger continued down her neck, following the curve to the collarbone where rough hot skin caused a delicious friction against her cool soft skin. She blushed hotly as her nipples hardened instantly; Jayne's lewd knowing smile spurred her to step away from his touch. "I see" she called on all her companion training to appear calm and gather some control over him. "You set up your trip with Mal..." she took a bigger step towards him, her hand moving up to caress his stubbled cheek, falling to his broad chest, brushing suggestively across his nipple on it's way down. When her fingertips reached his belt, she pulled her hand away and demurely looked up at his rapt face. "I'll send you off in style" Jayne chuckled and whistled low "This is gonna be good" 

The next day, Mal went into the mess, he was in a good mood but wasn't too sure he could trust in it. He saw Zoe cursing lowly over a pan, "Damn, I must be dreaming, you cooking Zoe?" He went to stand next to her peering into the pan. She offered up a spoon of her concoction for him to taste, he obliged, making a face as he looked for a place to spit it out. "Ugh, maybe it's a nightmare" Zoe scowled at him " Sir, I am armed" Mal laughed " yeah in more ways than one, you planning on taking us all out in one shot with that stuff?" Zoe's looked at him as if he were exaggerating, taking a taste for herself and frowning as she forced it down. Mal backed away from her good-naturedly "Look's like we got a volunteer to make Badger's payment and pick up some supplies, might want to make a list. "I thought we were steering clear of Persephone for awhile sir, guess if we're getting supplies don't have to be so miserly with the supplies" She said as she dumped her attempt at cooking into the waste receptacle and gave Mal another inquisitive look. "Drop off to Badger and supply shopping? We are not talking about my stir crazy husband are we?" Mal smiled "No, no I wouldn't do that to you, or me, volunteer's Jayne" Zoe looked surprised "Sir? Did you say Jayne?" Mal nodded "I know, I know, I think he's got an itch to spend some of our ill gotten gains an well it has been ne'er two month's, Badger's getting a little antsy for his share. He's been right decent over the circumstances and all. Seems a bit a luck getting Jayne to go; he can let off a little steam, take care of business. We can get far from this area for awhile after that matters taken care of, getting to feel like we're tempting fate hanging round here" Zoe agreed "Been feeling that myself, Sir, strange Jayne bein so helpful, ain't the first time neither. He's been down right eager, something to worry about you think?" Mal knew Zoe wasn't the only one noticing the change in Jayne. "Nah, not till he starts cooking the meals" Mal laughed at the thought of Jayne attempting to cook, it was only slightly scarier than the thought of Zoe's cooking. 

Jayne was feeling happy, going around to Kaylee, Wash, Shepard and Simon, telling them he would be picking up supplies on Persephone and that due to their recent good fortune, Mal had approved some personal requests. He had everything planned out, he would head out tomorrow, paying off Badger and picking up the supplies as quickly as possible, he could even afford to use the buyers they had on planets as big as Persephone to do the supply shopping for him, they didn't cost that much and with the extra money he had from Inara, he could finish that task in half the time. Mal had given him a couple of days to get the job done. He could then spend his time staking out the survival party, following them out to the wilderness. He had already cleaned and loaded his hunting rifle. As soon as he had his opportunity, as soon as Atherton was alone, he would have an accident. Jayne would make sure that it was permanent and head back to the shuttle and Serenity as soon as possible. His heart and conscience were already feeling hopeful in anticipation of finishing this job quickly. He owed a big debt to Malcolm Reynolds and even though Mal had refused every suggestion of payment Jayne had offered, he had to do something to even the score. This business with Inara was just the thing, plus the added bonus of Inara herself. He had to stop himself from humming, both Kaylee and Shepard had commented on the big smile plastered on his face. He let them wonder. At dinner they all went through their lists, confirming what they could and could not have. Kaylee wanted to go along with Jayne; Jayne flatly said no, Mal backed him up on it. Jayne rushed through dinner, excusing himself saying he wanted to get lots of sleep; he stressed the lots of sleep giving Inara a quick pointed look. She nodded slightly hoping on one else in the room noticed. Jayne left heading straight for the shower, on the way he ducked into Simon's room and snagged his after-shave. Simon would often leave it on the counter in the men's common bathroom, maybe he would think he had again, though Jayne didn't really care either way. 

Inara had a more difficult time extracting herself from the group, Mal kept trying to engage her in the debate the rest of them were having over where they should look for work next. Wash wanted to head over to a resort planet and find his naked beach, he argued that they had enough money for awhile and should just relax. Simon agreed that they could use some time planetside but worried that a resort planet would have too many Alliance people around, which would mean he and River, would still be stuck on the ship. It was near 45 minutes before she made her excuses, she promised to go over her offers and see if that could help determine where they would go next. She left, her heartbeat increasing as she made her way to her shuttle. The calm she usually showed to her clients was absent, she was confused as to what she was feeling, Why was she excited? Or was it something else? Was it Jayne? What he wanted was what her job was all about. Nervousness was not a part of it, certainly not her part of it anyway. She was about to break her own rule about crew members, with the one man on board who had been the crudest to her, Jayne was the one person who could make her cringe with his opinion on almost everything. The thought that this was taking place on Serenity, with the real possibility of getting caught sent a thrill through her body. Her pace quickened down the corridor where Jayne's bunk was, her eyes trained on the hatch to his room, wondering if he was in there or already in her shuttle. The door beyond that opened and Jayne came out clad only in a towel, his tall hard body still damp, his hair still wet. She stopped and stared taking in his sculpted form. She felt herself flush. Jayne saw her standing there looking flustered, he strode over to her "having second thoughts?" She tore her eyes from the towel hanging tautly on his waist. "uh No, I .. No not at all" She stammered "I was just going to my...." She pointed in the direction of her shuttle. He couldn't figure women, what was she all flighty about? "Be there in bout half an hour, kay?" She nodded and he opened his hatch and dropped down. The hatch closed again before she could make her feet start moving. She went through her preparations on automatic, her mind thoroughly occupied by thoughts and images of Jayne. She was confounded by what she was feeling, it was Jayne Cobb after all, he was doing her the biggest favor she had ever received. She knew it wasn't gratitude she was feeling, flashes of Jayne working out in the cargo hold went through her mind, Jayne doing push-ups, pull-ups, lifting weights. There was a lot of free time on Serenity and Jayne could be counted on to spend that time cleaning his weapons, working out or sleeping. She had never thought of him in a sexual way, not a positive sexual way in any case, and now that she was... she found she was feeling an anticipation she hadn't felt in years. She was in the position of choosing her clients, none of them were even remotely like Jayne, some were older, some younger, but none were men of action. Jayne was basically the muscle of the ship and now she was about to take him in her bed. The lightbulb went on in her head, She was attracted to Mal, his take charge attitude, his convoluted sense of right and wrong, rules were made spur of the moment, laws only valid if they served his purpose. The ships crew did what was right for the crew; they took what they could to survive, not maliciously, not from others who were also struggling. They often benefited people in need. It was noble in its own complicated way, she and Simon could only wonder at the things they did and the reasons why. Mal was the center of the whole operation; he personified everything Serenity was about. She was attracted to that, the nobility, the roguishness, the absolute faith he had in himself and his crew, his do or die attitude, the whole lifestyle. She had been only a bystander; only peripheral to participating in any real way, Simon had embraced the existence more in his short time here than she had. She could see how his perspective had changed. Jayne, well Jayne was perhaps a simpler Mal, he was action pure and simple, even more so than Mal. Mal would consider all the possible consequences of his actions, not that they would stop him, but he weighed what he could live with, with what he did. Jayne followed orders, didn't need the reasons, and if they were his own they were probably emotion based. Mal considered all others involved, Jayne only the people he ran with, and probably not all the time. She sat with anticipation, her fears and doubts about what Jayne would do on Persephone still with her, though she no longer had any doubts about what she was about to do with Jayne. She decided not to overthink it; she would let herself enjoy it, without reserve. There was a knock on her shuttle door, she smiled. Jayne Cobb had no idea what he was in for. 

Jayne waited at the door, he had been having second thoughts about this since his shower, He had been with many women but had never had to force or extort them. Inara opened the door, her hair loose, falling over her shoulders. She wore a slinky satin gown in a light gold tone. She ran her hand down Jayne's forearm, slipping her hand into his and gently pulling him in. Jayne's mouth hung open, the smile on Inara's face was nothing he had seen on her before. Any thoughts that she would be troubled by this tryst left him. She led him to a soft chair and he sat. "Nara, you look hot, I mean beautiful" She said nothing but was obvious about looking him over from head to toe. Jayne squinted his eyes, this was not how he imagined her to behave. He felt a small loss of control over the situation but meant to take it back. He sat up from his leaning position and pulled his form fitting t-shirt over his head, he tossed it to the floor and unbuckled his belt. Inara was non-phased, she walked up behind the shirt and bent slightly to pick it up making sure her cleavage was more on display. Jayne chuckled and shook his head, it was his move. Inara folded his shirt and placed it on another chair. He stuck his boot out as he leaned back and politely asked her "Do you mind?" She turned and smiled, she looked him directly in the eyes making sure he saw them slowly go down his body, lingering on his bare chest before she knelt before him, again giving him a clear view down her gown. She worked on unlacing the boots, pulling one off easily before moving to the next, she could hear his breath coming slightly quicker, she looked up without moving her head, his eyes were glued to the sight of the two points her taut nipples made in the smooth material, the look in his eyes sent a warmth through her as she felt moisture growing in her. When she finished she stood, Jayne was soon on his feet, the desire in his eyes heating her skin and making her tremble slightly. He unzipped his pants and shucked them along with his underwear in one swift move; she stepped back, a small gasp escaping her lips. He stepped out of his clothes and sat back in the chair, his erection settling firmly against his stomach as he leaned back into the chair. Calmly he stated "I have some questions bout how this works, never been with no certified companion before" her body was vibrating with growing excitement, she quickly gathered and folded the rest of his clothes, depositing them with the shirt on the chair. She had averted her eyes when he stripped but now she was ready for full seduction mode. She turned toward him, a slight smile on her face. She brazenly admired his body through half-lidded eyes "Ask away" She knelt in front of him sliding her hands from his knees to his thighs, he shuddered slightly, she saw him mentally gaining control over himself. His voice not coming out as strong as he had hoped "Who's in control here? Are there do's and don'ts? Do I have to ask permission for what I want? Is there some kinda time limit or...." She continued caressing his thighs, alternating between the top and sides, her fingers stopping their upward movement the moment they brushed against his tightened balls- He groaned lowly in his throat " This isn't lika a normal appointment Jayne, I understand how much you are doing for me.. and I want to thank you...I want..." She slid her body closer, lifting her hands from his thighs and wrapping them around his turgid cock, he sighed as she ran her hot tongue along the underside of his member. She gently flicked the pre cum from the head, swirling her tongue all around it. Jayne moaned louder, grabbing Inara's upper, catching himself after hearing her gasp, he lessoned the hold and lifted her from him. "Let's not rush things now". He stood and pulled her against him, running his huge rough hands along the smooth fabric along the small of her back. She felt the pulsing length of him pushing along the soft satin just under her breasts, his nose nuzzling against her silky, fragrant tresses, he inhaled her scent, slowing steering her backwards towards her bed. At the edge, his still roaming hands grabbed the material and slowly slid it over her head, she lifted her arms to assist him, finally revealing her bare lush form to him. He traced her hips with his palms, up her ribcage to the sides of her breasts; he looked into her eyes as he brushed her already erect rosy nipples with his knuckles. She sighed as he dipped his head, his lips slowly coming towards hers " thought you didn't kiss on the lips?" she whispered, her hand now on the side of his face encouraging him closer. "If you remember that, ya know the reason why, no danger of that happenin is there?" "No" she closed the gap, pressing her lips gently to his, passion igniting as her kiss grew more intense, Jayne encircled her with one arm pulling her even closer, devouring her mouth with his own. Cupping one breast with the hand that had wrapped around her, his thumb circled the rigid flesh beneath it, alternately rubbing against the tip before continuing another lap. The kisses became more urgent and she slipped one hand down to gently stroke him. She couldn't believe how hot and wet she felt, she was more impatient than he was, she could feel his heart thudding as he broke from her lips panting, he started planting wet warm kisses on her neck and shoulders, working his way down to her neglected beautiful breast. He sucked the nipple gently into his hot mouth, quickly increasing the pressure, swirling his tongue around it. He gently pushed her back onto the bed behind her, he kneeled before the bed, raising her knees till she had to lie down, he placed her knees over his shoulders, the need in his eyes pushing her to the edge, knowing what was about to come. Inara no longer felt like a woman working, this was had been missing all her adult life, this was what it was like to be with your lover, not a client. A new wave of pleasure coursed through her as Jayne parted the outer lips of her sex, he tentatively lapped at her, warming quickly to his task when he realized just how aroused she was. He probed with his tongue, drinking her plentiful juices eagerly. Inara lost all sense of control, urging him on, moaning loudly and calling his name. He concentrated on her swollen nub, licking, sucking, flattening his tongue and adding pressure. He slowly inserted one than two long fingers into her slick hot channel, pumping her with increased speed and force, never letting up as he swirled his tongue around her clit. He felt her squeezing her inner walls around his pumping fingers, bucking lightly to their rhythm. She called his name "Jayne, Jayne please" he needed no further encouragement. He got off his knees and climbed on the bed, following her as she scooted back. She spread her legs, eager to have him enter her. He quickly covered her with his body, positioning himself and entering her in one swift move, a strangled cry escaped her lips. He stretched her, filling her, she had never felt such need as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper still. Jayne stayed motionless, on the brink of lost control, her slick tightness sheathed him in searing heat, he breathed heavily into her ear "Oh God, so good, so hot". The throbbing of their joined flesh demanded satisfaction, Jayne felt a new surge of stamina, determined to be inside of her heat for as long as he could. Inara schooled in the states of men's excitement felt this and made her move, she pushed him off of her and quickly straddled him. She rubbed herself over his prone body, teasing her nipples with his chest hair, brushing her throbbing clit against the head of his long, hard cock, bringing herself near the edge of ecstasy before impaling herself fully. She rode him hard and fast. Jayne grabbed her hips, finding her rhythm and matched her thrust for thrust, both were lost in their mutual pleasure minutes going by till Jayne decided to up the ante, he reached between them to stroke her swollen clit with his calloused thumb roughly, Inara responded by fondling her own breasts, panting heavily, cries of yes, yes, yes sending her flying over the pinnacle of bliss. Jayne rolled her off him, laying her on her back; He entered her slowly savoring the spasms still pulsing through her body. He desperately wanted to let go and drown in her, but he kept his pace slow, nearly pulling his whole length out before slowly sinking back in. Inara ran her hands over every part of his body she could reach, marveling at how perfectly sculpted it really was, his broad muscled back, his plump firm ass, the rock hard arms. She didn't believe her body would start the climb towards release again so soon after she had cum so hard. Jayne only slightly increased his pace grinding into her when buried deepest. His eyes never left her face, she slowly ran her hands up his body to his face, and she pulled him closer to her. His ardent kisses brought new waves of warmth flowing through her, she gasped as his tempo increased and broke from his kisses to pant for air. He moved his mouth down to her supple globes, sucking hard as his rhythm increased still, Inara's eyes closed as she arched her back, he grazed his teeth over her still hard nipples before driving even harder into her. He moaned loudly "Open your eyes, Look at me" The intensity of everything he was feeling reflected in his eyes, catching her off guard and sending her tumbling near oblivion with pleasure. Jayne howled his release, collapsing on top of her breathless, lightheaded at the force of his orgasm. He rolled his weight off of her, still holding tight catching his breath. Jayne stroked her soft skin made damp by their exertions; he nuzzled his face in the nape of her neck, scraping her skin with his rough beard. "Never took you for a cuddler, Jayne" she said as she enjoyed the warmth still radiating from their skin. "Well, never took you" he replied. "Mmmm, mind if I rest her awhile?" she said drowsily "I take it personal if ya didn't" he murmured to her. "Good" she slurred as she drifted off to sleep. 

An hour later Jayne gently shook her awake, "Nara, cant stay here" she woke startled, extracting her arms from around him, her mind shifting quickly into high gear as she remembered where she was and the circumstances. "Oh yes, I know, I know" she got out of her bed and put her robe on, she watched as Jayne got dressed. "Jayne? Are you worried about tomorrow?" He smiled at her sweetly, "Nah, not at all" She broke eye contact, looking into her lap "you know, things will have to appear the same to the others?" He also looked down, the smile slipping off his face "yeah, I know". When he was finished dressing she walked him to her shuttle door, Jayne turned around and looked at her seriously "Can I ask ya something?" "Of coarse" she answered. "Ya really think he's worth it? I mean you couldn't possibly be chargin enough if this is anything like..." She put her hand gently on his arm "This wasn't a typical night for me, I hope you know that" The shy smile returned to his face, "Yeah, okay, but is he?" They locked eyes both knowing that the intense feelings they felt that night was not love. "Mal? Well Jayne what do you think?" Jayne thought for a moment, " I guess he is and he'll never hear about this from me" She smiled at him and before he disappeared out of the door she stopped him, placing a hand over his heart she looked directly into his eyes" Thank You Jayne." 

The end (for now) 

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